Feed control for knitting machines



. R. M. FOSTER I FEED CONTROL FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed April 23, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 21 a: 23 4 0 7 I .5 zswze .27

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Sept. 21 1926. 1,600,464

R. M. FOSTER FEED CONTROL FOR KNITTING MACHINES led April 23, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 zoiinwdw gv 141141.-

Patented Sept. 21, 1926.

IAUNIT'ED STATES PATENT oFFIcE.

RICHARD M. FOSTER, 0F WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB TO THE HASTINGS & MCINTOSH TRUSS 00., OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A GORPQ'Rukfl'.ION OF PENNSYLVANIA. I

rnnn conrrnon non xnrrrrmo. MACHINES.

Application filed April 23.1923. Serial No. 633,979.

My invention relates to knitting machines, particularly of the circular latch needle type, adapted for knitting tubular ribbed seamless articles, such as elastic stockings, knee caps, and other knitted seamless elastic goods for surgical and other purposes.

7 In the knitting of seamless elastic goods, the shape of the article is altered by varying the length of the elastic thread fed to the machine, relatively to the circumference of the needles, and the object of the present invention is to provide an improved mechanismfor controlling the feed of the elastic thread, whereby any desired length of ela's tic thread can be positively measured and" fed to the machine for each course knitted thereby.'- My invention contemplates an improved mechanism for controlling the rotation of the rolls which feed the elastic thread, whereby the latter are driven independently of the rotation of the knitting able complication of parts and operating elastic thread feeding rolls which are thread.

head. In-this respect my improved machine differs fundamentally from similar machines heretofore constructed, in which the elastic thread feeding mechanism rotates with the knitting head, thereby resulting in undesirdifliculties. My invention also contemplates adapted to feed the elastic'a predetermined, unvarying distance for each revolution thereof, thereby resulting in a feed mechanism susceptible to quick, positive variation.

The above and other advantageous features of my invention will hereinafter more" fully appear, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which- Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of a circularknitting machine provided with my improved feeding mechanism for the elastic Fig. 2 is a planlview of the parts shown in Fig. 1. l I Fig. 3 is an enlarged end view of a portion of the parts shown'in Fig. 1, illustrating the details of my improved mechanism.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and2, there'is shown a knitting machine adapted for-the manufacture of circular seamless elastic goods, W h ich comprises afixed needle cylinder 1 having stationary sets of needles, a ribber dial2, a cam cylinder 3, and a cam plate 4. The machine also co-mprisesa knitting thread guide 5 to which the knitting threads 6 are led from suitable spools 7, and

an elastic thread guide 8 to which elastic thread 9 is fed from'a suitable magazine '10 by apair of feed rolls 11 and 12, the guides 5 and 8- and the spools 7 revolving with the cylinder 3 beneath the rolls 11 and 12. 'Iakeup rolls 13 are provided below the knitting headfor 'pullingdown the workas it is knit by the machine. v V

The above described arrangement of the 7 parts of the knitting head forms no part of my present invention and the-knitting 'head is adapted tooperate in substantially the same manner asin other similar; circular knitting machines. In the manufacture of knitted elastic hosiery by machines of the type illustrated in the drawings, the elastic thread 9 is laid "into the'work" and held therein by knitted loops formed by the knitting threads 6, and if 'the lengthof the clasticthread 9 fedto the needles'for any given course is the same 'as'the circumference of the needl'es, then theknitted article is Ofthe same diameteras'theneedle'cylinder. If,.

however, the elastic thread 9 is stretched as it I is knitted into a course, then after. the

fabric has left the needles, the elastic thread contracts andthus reducesthe diameter of the fabric produced. In my improved machine, the elasticthread is positively fed by the rolls 11 and 12, a fixed distance for eachrevolution thereof, and my invention relates to rolls so designed and to improved mechanism driving the rolls, whereby the rate of feed of the elastic thread by the rolls 11 and 1.2 is automatically varied to control the shape of the fabric, as will now be described.

The feed rolls 11 and 12 are each rotatably supported at the end of a bracket 14 extending upwardly'from. a table 15 and overhanging the knitting head.

The rolls 11 and 12, it will thus be noted, are on fixed axes. The bracket 14 is So formed that the knitting head, together with the thread guides 5 and 8 and the knitting thread spools 7, is ada ted to turn freely without interference Wltl' the rolls 11 and 12, the elastic thread 9 passing from between the rolls 11 and 12 directly dowwnard to the guide 8, without requiring any intermediate guiding'or holding means between the knitting head and the overhanging end of the bracket 14.

. It should be noted that the rolls 11 and 12 are located above the substantial plancenter 0f the knitting mechanism, with the horizontal axes of the rolls intersecting the vertical axis of rotation of the cylinder 3; this insures that the length of thread between the rolls 11 and 12 and the guide 8 remains unchanged as the guide 8 travels in its circumferential path with the cylinder 3.

The shaft 16 on which the lower roll 12 is mounted extends through the bracket'14 and is provided with a bevel gear 17 in mesh with a bevel gear 18 carried at the lower end of a vertical shaft 19 rotatably supported by the bracket 14. The shaft 19 is'con nected to a second vertical shaft 20 through pairs of bevel gears 21 and 22, and a shaft 23 extending horizontally across the top of the bracket 14. The lower end of the shaft 20 is connect-ed by bevel gears 24 to a shaft 25 extending horizontally above the table 15 and rotatably supported between members 26 of a frame cross rod 26. I

The shaft 25 has mounted thereon a dr1vpivotally mounted on a ing disk 27 which is in frictional engagementwith a wheel 28 rotatably supported above the table 15 in a plane substantially at right angles to that of the disk 27. The wheel 28 is carried by a shaft 29 which extends downwardly below the table 15 and is connected by bevel gears 30 to a driving shaft 31 rotatably supported by-the frame 32 which carries the table 15. The knitting head is also connected to the shaft 3l by any suitable gearing 33, so that the knitting head and the friction wheel 28 are adapted tov be driven in unison, at the same speed,

when the shaft 31 is rotated. A driving pulley 34 is mounted on the shaft 31 and is adapted to be .connected thereto by means of a suitable clutch 35. The clutch 35 is connected through suitable levers 36 to an operating rod 37, movement of which is adapted to control the operation ofthe machine,as will be hereinafter described.

Referring now to Figs. 3, 4 and 5, the disk 27- is provided with a hub 38 which is connected to the shaft 25 by a sliding keyway 39, and the hub 38 is embraced by the arms 40 of a shifting nut 41. The nut 41 is in threaded engagement with a screw shaft 42, rotatably supported above the wheel 28 between the uprights 26, and it is apparent that rotation of the shaft 42 will cause the nut 41 to be shifted bodily thereon and carry with it the disk 27. The position of the disk 27 on the wheel 28 with respect to the axis of rotation of the latter will obviously determine the speed of rotation of the shaft 25 for a given speed .of rotation of the driving shaft 31, so that disk 27 relative to said wheel 28. The shaft 42 is extended beyond one upright 26 and is provided with a handle 43,'see Fig. 2, whereby the shaft 42 may be turned manually; while it is provided beyond the other upright 26 with an operating head 44, whereby it may mechanism which will now be described.

As best shown in Fig. 3, .the shaft 31 is is connectedto a shaft 45 by gearing 46, so that the shaft 45 is driven at substantiallythe same speed of rotation as the friction wheel 28. A cam 47 ismounted on the shaft 45 and an arm 48, pivoted at 49, is provided witha roller 50 which is held in engagement with the cam 47 by means of a spring 51. The cam 47 is so formed that rotation of the shaft v45 will cause an oscillatory movement of the arm 48, the

arm 48 being adapted to make one complete be automatically turned by oscillation for each revolution of the knit-- ting head and friction wheel 28. A pair of hooks 52 .and 53 are pivotally mounted on brackets 54 and 55 carried by the upper end of thcarm 48,'the hooks 52 and 53 being each adapted to swing in a horizontal plane about'vertical pivotpins 56 and 57, While the brackets54 and 55 are pivoted abouthorizontal pins 54 and 55 The hooks 52 and 53 are supported beyond the arm 48 on rods 58 and59, so that as the arm 48 oscillates, the hooks 52 andv 53 have" imparted thereto areciprocatory movement.

The hooks 52' and 53 extend from the arm 48 to. a point adjacent the head 44 and the latter is provided with a number of radial pins 60.w hich are adapted to be enby either hook 52 or 53, should either of the latter be turned about its pivot pin on a pairof operating levers and 63 extending toward the hook 52 and 53, re-

spectively. .The lever 62 is provided with an operating portion .64 having an inclined face 64 for engaging the hook 52, while the lever 63 isprovidedwith'an operating portion 65 having an inclined face 65 for engaging thehook 53. The levers 62 and 63 extend downwardly below the bracket 61, and terminate in arms 66,, 67, embracing a sprocketwheel 6.8. Levers 62 and 63'are normally held in the upper position shown in Fig. 5 by means of springs 66 and 67 The sprocket wheel 68 is rotatably mounted on a shaft .69 and is provided with a ratchet disk 7 O. The teeth 71 of the ratchet are adapted to be. engaged'by a pawl 72 pivotally mounted on a pin 73 carried by an eccentric disk 4 mounted on the shaft Rotation of the shaft 45 imparts a reciprocatory in turn is adapted to impart a step-by-step rotative movement to the sprocket wheel 68, as the pawl 72 engages the ratchet teeth 71. The sprocket wheel 68 is therefore adapted to be turned through the angle subtended by one ratchet tooth 71 for each complete revolution of the friction wheel 28.

A pattern chain 75 passes over the sprocket wheel 68, with the teeth 76 of'the latter engaging in the links of the chain, the numer'of teeth 76 corresponding to the number of ratchet teeth 71. The chain 75 is pro vided on either side thereof with projecting pins 77 and 78 which are adapted to engage" the arms 67 and 66, respectively, of the levers 63 and 62, as the chain 75 is moved by the sprocket wheel 68. It is apparent from a consideration of Fig. 3 that when the arm 66 is engaged by a pin 78, the lever 62 will be turned in a clockwise direction and thereby cause the operating portion 64 to be 'moved downwardly with respect to the hook 52. When this occurs, the hook '52 is engaged by direction of the head 44, so that when the hook 52 is moved from left to right it engage one of the pins 60, and thereby turn the head 44 in a clockwise direction through a distance equal to the tween the pins 60. Engagement of the pin 77 with the arm 67 of the lever 63 will cause 52 or '53, the screw for the shaft 25 which the speed of the shaft 25 tion of rolls movement to the pawl 72, which the face 64 and is turned in the will angular spacing bethe operating portion 65to move the hook 53 toward the 'head 44, 'and'j-thereby cause the hook to engage a pin 60 and turn it in a direction opposite to the directionin which the head 44 is turnedby the hook 52.

lVhen the head 44 is turned by either hook shaft 42 will be turned a corresponding amount,'with'the result that the nut 41 willbe shifted eitherto the right or to the left. The shifting niovement ofth-e nut 41 will cause thefriction disk 27 to be moved either nearer to, or"'farther' away from, the axis of rotation of thefrict'ion wheel 28, thereby resulting in either an in-' crease, or decrease, in the speed ofrota'tio'n drives the elastic thread feed rolls 11 a-n'd'12. The timing of the mechanism is such that the disk27 is shifted as a new course is about to be knit by the head, and it is obvious thatthe speed of the shaft 25, and therefore the speed of the rolls 11 and 12, will remain "constant for any given position of the disk27.

From the foregoing then it isapp'ar'ent that the location of the pins 77 and. 78 on the pattern chain 75 will determine the form of the tubular article which is knitted by the machine. Operation of pins77 will cause to be increased with a resultant increase in the speed of revolu- 11 and 12, and thus in the amount of elastic thread fed and in the .di ameter of the fabric woven. Operation of the pins 78 will cause thespeed of the shaft 25 to be decreased with a resulting decrease in the speed of revolution of rolls 11 and1-2, an'd'thus in the amount of elastic fabric fed and in the diameter of the fabric woven.

When it is desired to, start the knitting machine in operation, the rod 37 is'pushed' to the right, thereby moving the clutch 35 through the levers 36 so as to connect-the pulley 34 to the driving shaft 31. Aspring 36 normally tends to hold the clutch 35 out of engagement with the pnlley 34, and the starting rod 37 is ala-pted to be lockedin position so as to hold the clutch 35 in, by

means of a latch 79 engaging in a notch 80 provided-inth-e rod 37. As" best shown in Fig. 3, the latch 79 is carried by a lever 81 pivoted at 82, so that the unbalanced weight of the lever 81 tends to holdfthe'latch 79 in the notch 80 after thestarting rod 37 has been moved far enough to the'right to permitthe latch to enter the notch.

. The lever 81 extends between the arms 66 and 67, so'that its lower surface just clears the pattern'chain 75. The' pattern chain- 75 is provided with an upwardly extending stop 83 located atthe end of the pattern. which stop 83 is adapted to engage the under surface of the leverf'81 and" enough todisen'gage the'la'tch. 79 from the notch 80 in the arm37."-Vilhenthis occurs,

raise the latter chine.

that the machine may desired shape.

throws the starting rod :37 to the left, thereby unclutching the pulley 34 from the shaft 31 and stopping the operation of the ma- In this way the machine is adapted to be automatically stopped when an article has been completely knitted, as determined by the pattern chain, although it is obvious t at the stop 83 can be placed at any desired point on the chain 75 so as to interrupt the knitting after a predetermined length of fabric has been knitted. In order be conveniently operated by hand, independently of the pulley 34, a handle 84 is provided, which is geared 1 to the shaft 81.

From the foregoing it is apparent that by my invention I have provided an improved mechanism for positively controlling the rotation of the rolls which feed the elastic thread to the knitting head, whereby tubular knitted fabric may be produced having any -My improved mechanism is characterized by the fact that the elastic thread feeding rolls operate independently of the rotation of the knit-ting head, so that the elastic thread passes directly from the feeding rolls to the head without necessitat' ing the use of any auxiliary thread holding or guiding device Furthermore, the entire mechanism for controlling the rotation of the elastic thread feed rolls. is supported on the table of the machine entirely apart from the knitting mechanism, so that the vibra tion attending the operation of the knitting head is most unlikely to disturb the delicate adjustment of the feed roll controlling mechanism. Furthermore my feed rolls are adapted to feed the thread a fixed, definite distance for each revolution thereof, the rate of thread feed being controlled solely by the speed regulating 'mechanism. Thus I avoid the employment ofconical feed rolls for the elastic thread, with the attendant uncertainties inherent therein, my thread feeding means being susceptible to quick, positive variation.

I claim v 1. In a machine of the class described, the combination. with a knitting mechanism comprising stationary sets of needles, a rotatable cam cylinder carrying thread guides and bobbins, and a supply of elastic thread stationary With respect to said guides, of a feed roll located above the substantial plan center of said knitting mechanism, said feed roll being adapted to deliver a predetermined amount of elastic thread for each revolution of said roll, and a variable speed regulating mechanism located externally with respect to said knitting mechanism for driving said roll.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a knitting mechanism comprising stationary sets of needles, a rotatalie cam cylinder carrying thread guides rotatable member able cam cylinder carrying and bobbins, and a supply of elastic thread stationary with respect to said guides, of a having an axis entirely outside of said knittingmechanism, a Wheel frictionally driven at varyingrates of speed ing roll driven by said wheel and locatedon a second stationary horizontal ax'issubstantially intersecting the vertical axis of rotation of said knitting mechanism, and adapted to feed the elastic thread to said lniitting mechanism, with the rate of feed of the thread controlled solely by the position of said Wheel relative to said rotatable member.

3. combination with a knitting mechanism comprising stationary sets of needles, a rotatable cam cylinder carrying thread guides and bobbins, and a supply of elastic thread stationary with respect to said guides, of variable speed regulating mechanism located externally to said knitting mechanism, ashaft driven by said regulating mechanism, thread feeding means located substantially above the plan center of said knittingmechanism and removed from said shaft; said means comprising a member revoluble on a fixed axis, said member for each revolu tion being adapted to feed the elastic thread apredetermined unvarying distance, an idler, roll cooperating with and substantially tangent to said member, and driving mechanism for said thread feeding means adapted to drive said member at a fixed speed relative to said shaft. 7 v

4. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a knitting mechanism comprising stationary sets of needles, a ro tatable cam cylinder carrying thread guides and bobbins, a supply of elastic thread stationary with respect to said guides and a roll located above the substantial plan center of'the knitting mechanism for feeding the elastic thread, of a rotatably driven member having an axis entirely outside of said knitting mechanism, a. wheelin frictional engagement with said member adapted to drive said elastic thread feeding roll, a screw shaft on a stationary axis carrying a nut for shifting said frictional wheel on said rotatable member, and pattern controlled means for turning said screw shaft in either di rection of rotation to shift said Wheel and thereby vary the rate of rotation of said elastic thread roll.

5. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a knitting mechanism comprising stationary sets of needles, a rotatthread guides a supply of elastic'thread sta respect to said guides and a and bobbins, tionary with roll located above the substantial plan center of the knitting mechanism for feeding the elastic thread, of a rotatably driven member having an axis entirelyoutside of In a machine of the classdescribed, the

by said rotatable member, and a thread feed- I said knitting mechanism, a wheel in frictional engagement with said member adapted to drive said elastic thread feeding roll, a screw shaft on a stationary axis carrying a nut for shifting said frictional wheel on said rotatable member, a pair of reciprocating elements turnable in the direction of said screw shaft, and pattern controlled means for turning either of said elements to cause one of them to engage a pr0 ecti0n on said 10 screw shaft and turn the latter in either direction of rotation, whereby to shift the frictional wheel and vary the rate of feed of the elastic thread.

RICHARD M. FOSTER. 

